Common HollyUp+Dt Festival, Edmonton AB, October 6

There are a few things worth contemplating when sitting in a church. Why did the Flintstones celebrate Christmas? When concerts are in churches are concertgoers supposed to use their inside or outside voices? Why are some remarkable shows so severely under attended?

The last question was more pertinent to Common Holly's Up+Dt Festival appearance at MacDougall Church in downtown Edmonton. The few who did populate the pews were rewarded with a testament to a what a band on the rise sound like.

Common Holly were economic with instrumentation. A drummer, at times so subtle he sometimes patted the drums gently with his bare hands, and a second guitarist to fill out the sonic textures, were the only accompaniment to Brigitte Naggar's glimmering guitar and glacially pristine vocals. The set was short, with the delicate dynamics of songs from their debut EP, Playing House, ascending into the natural reverb of the church.

A band can be two things at the same time: wonderful yet not well-known enough to fill an early time slot at an uncommon venue. They won't be for long.